Casing-spear.



E. L. MILLS.

CASING SPEAK.

APPLTGATION FILED MAY 23,1911.

pmyggg, Patented P61125, 1913.

EDWARD L. MILLS, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CASING-SPEAR.

Specication'of Letters Patent.

Application led May 23, 1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Serial No. 629,005.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enwann L. Mums, a citizen of the United States, residing at. Los Angeles, in the county ot Los Angeles and State ,of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Casing-Spears, of which the following is a specitieation.

This invention ielates to a casing spear adapted for engagement with thel interior ol a well casing for pulling upwardly thereon; and the invention consists in several constructions and combinations for providing a simple and etlcient spearwvith minimum liability of damage and which may be oper-- ated within the hole by simple and small movements. y

In my invent-ion l have provided a mandrel having downwardly divergent vways thereon and having a cylindrical portion helow the ways, with a sleeve slidably mounted on thel cylindrical portion and carrying the slips which move on the ways. The construction and arrangement ot' this movable sleeve, in combination with certain catch mechanism, is one of the 'features ot my invention. l have so arranged it with relation to its supporting spring that a long bearing .is provided on the cylindrical portion ot the mandrel and this insures against the breaking or bending o't` that portion ot Ithe mandrel. T have also provided catches for the purpose of holdingthe slips and other movable parts in position for being lowered into ordrawn out of the well. These catches are simply constructed and act eiliciently to hold the various parts in the desired positions.

The specific structure of my invention will be best understood troni the description of a typical form given in the following specification andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a partial longitudinal section of my improved device with its parts in the relative position "tor removing from the well. Fig. i2 is an elevation ot' the same showing the parts in position asv when pull* ing casing. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sect-ion taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showing the parts in the positions for putting down the hole. Fig. 4t is an enlarged sectional detail showing the catch near the lower end of the mandrel for holding the movable sleeve and the slips in their uppermost positions. Fim 5 is a cross section taken o n line 5-l' of Fig. i2. Fig. G is a view illustrating the l'orm of device used for drawing the movable sleeve to its lower position.

ln the drawings 5 designates a mandrel provided with the usual means 6 at its u per end for attachment to a string of dri ling tools and provided near its center with a pair of downwardly divergent ways 7. rays 7 are of such configuration, and slips 8 of such corresponding configuration, that the slips may slide longitudinally upon the ways without moving outwardly therefrom. I have shown the slips as two in number; but any convenient or desired number may be used. Directly below ways 7 on the mandrel is a cylindrical portion 9 extending downwardly and being screw threaded on its lower end for engagement by a nut 10. Nut. l0 is provided on its lower end with notches 11 for engagement by a pin 1Q which is passed through the lower end ot portion 9. A compression spring 13 rests upon nut '10. or rather in an annular groove in its upper face. the compression .spring extending upwardly around cylindrical portion 9. Sleeve l5 is slidably mounted on cylindrical portion 9 and has an outwardly expanding flange 1G at its upper end on which slips 8 rest. Spring 13 surrounds sleeve l and bears against the lower ft'ac'e ot' Harige lli. thus resiliently supporting the sleeve and flange. The sleeve is nade ol considerable length so that it is at- -lorded ample hearing on cylindrical portion il; and this prevents the binding of the sleeve on the cylindrical portion of the mandrel and the consequent bending or breaking ol the mandrel when one of slips 8 is pressed down more than the other. t the same time. the length of sleeve 15 allows a corres!)ondingiy ample length of spring 13, the ratio of spring compression to total length being thus reduced to a practicable and safe ligure. The amount of possible compression ot' the springr is measured by the distance between the upper end of nut 110 and the lower end ot' sleeve 15; and this compression takes place when the spear is pulling on casing (the position shown in Fig. 2.) And the placement: of the sleeve between the mandrel and spring also serves to space the spring from the mandrel, allowing a spring of considerable diameter and holding it in alinement.

Sleeve l5 has a stud or other member 20 which projects up into the body of the mandrel. above cylindrical portion 9 and this ,stud is provided with a V-shaped notch 21 having a square shoulder 21'i on its lower 5 side; so that the notchV may be engaged by a spring pressed catch 22 to prevent the upward Vmovement of the stud and of sleeve 15. CatchA 22 is preferably mounted in a small cylindrical chamber 23 which extends transl@ versely across the body of the mandrel from the side opposite stud 20. A small spring 24 tends to draw catch 22 from notch 21 in stud 20; the frictional engagement of the stud with the catch being nohrmally sufficient to prevent its withdrawal. eA pin 25 lying vin a key-way 26 prevents the rotation of `catch 22 and thus insures its being in position to engage with not-ch 2l; while a small cap 27 closes the end of chamber 23, the cap being provided with an aperture 28 through which a suitable tool may be inserted to push the catch 22 into engagement with notch 21. This construction may be taken as typical of others embodying the same elements and action. In this, one of the prime features of m invention, I do not limit myself to detai s except as embodied in the claim.Y

When it is desired to place the spear in 3.0 the hole and lower it within the casing, a device ofthe character shown in Fig. 6 is used. This device is comprised in a U- shaped frame 30 having lugs 31 on its upper nds, these lugs being adapted to engage 'th holes in liange 16. At the same imc, the end of a screw 33 enters a depresion 34 in the lower end of mandrel portion til and rotation of the screw will pull frame downwardly. Sleeve 15 is thus pulled 4() diiwn to the position shown in Fig. 2 in suite of the upward pressure exerted by spring 13. lV-hen the correct position is reached, catch 22 is pressed to the position shovh in Fig. 3 and the downward pull on sleevyl 15 then released. The sleeve immedia tends to move upwardly under the vacti ii of springl 13 and square shoulder 21a on stiid 2() is forced into tight engagement withlthe under face of catch 22, friction 5o preventing the catch from being withdrawin by spring 24. In this position the device is lowered within the casing to the pointwhere it is desired to pull. The deizice is ythen slightly moved upwardly and i gapthejeet-li 8i* on theouter faces'of slips 8 'immediately take hold of the inner surface of the casing. In doing so they are pulled farther down on mandrel 5, forcing sleeve 1 15 still farther downwardly from the posiso tion shown in 'y l*`ig.2. The frlct-ional engagement of shoulder'21 with catch 22 is thus released and catch 22 springs to the left in Fig. 3 (or if it should fail of being pressed back by spring 24, the beveled engagement of the notch with the end of' the annesse catch will force the catch back on downward movementof the stud 20.) Spring 13 is thus free to exert its upward pressure against sleeve 15 and the slips; but the upward pull on the mandrel and the engagement of the slips with the casing prevents the spring from moving the slips upwardly on ways 7 until such time when the upward pull on the mandrel is relieved. Then the slips engage the casing there is naturally a pull down ou the slips, tending to spread them apart.l If there were no stop provided for this downward movement the slips would move downwardly and outwardly until the casing was injured. Such a stop 80 is provided by the lower end of sleeve 15 engaging nut 10, as shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to release the spear from the casinggthe mandrel is moved downwardly and the slips thus released from the casing. Spring 13 will immediately force the slips to the position shown in Fig. 1, the slips moving inwardly so as not to engage with the casing when the device is moved upwardly to be removed from the hole. To further insure the slips from being pulled downv by accidental engagement with the easing while moving the spear upwardly, I have provided a catch 10 which normally stands vertically in a slot 41 in cylindrical 95 mandrel portion 9 directly above nut 10. The lower end of the catch is.V prevented from moving outwardly by being within the nut while the upper end is held inwardly b v sleeve 15. A small spring 42 presses outwardly on catch l1z0 and a shoulder 43 is adapted to engage under the lower end of sleeve 15 when the sleeve reaches its uppermost position as shown in Fig. 1. This is thc position taken when the device is beingV pulled out of the casing; and catch 40 prevents the downward movement of sleevev 15 even it' the slips should accidentally engage with some projection on the inner surface of the casing.

v From the foregoing it will be seen that l have provided a simple and reliable device which is easily placed and locked in either of its positions and which `is easily operated within the casing. Further, the device is so constructed as to be strong and durable and not liable to'daulage on account of uneven engagement with the casing or of accidental engagementl therewith while being removed from the hole.

Having described vmy invention, I claim:

A casing spear, comprising a mandrel having downwardly divergent ways thereon and a cylindrical portion below the ways, slips adapted to move longitudinally on the 125 ways, a sleeve slidably mounted on the cylindrical portion having a bearing of some considerable length thereon and having a flange upon whichv the slips are supported, spring means for supporting the sleeve, said 13o means surrounding ne s'oeve and bearing In witness that I claim the foregoing I against the flange, a member projecting inhnvo hereunto subscribed my naine this 15th .Wardly from the sleeve into the -mandrei day of Muy 1911. and having a not-ch therein, a catch adapted E. L. MILLS.

to enter said notch, und spring means for Witnesses: movmg the catchV out of engagement with JAM-: T. -lxnnnnnw, the notch. Enwoon H. BAnimmaw. 

